Media
This page contains articles that have appeared in the media about the Lewisham Towers development.
No Lewisham Towers campaign rejected by Marrickville Council – The Glebe
MARRICKVILLE Council will not support the No Lewisham Towers campaign despite Ashfield and Leichhardt councils showing their support.
Last Tuesday, Marrickville Greens councillor Max Phillips moved a motion calling for the Planning Minister to refer the plan back to the council.
Residents are concerned that community consultation will be limited if the proposal is assessed as a part 3A application. The motion also called for Marrickville Council to clearly state its opposition by writing to local, state and federal members and promoting http://www.nolewishamtowers.org on the council’s website.
The motion was tied. Labor Mayor Sam Iskandar used his casting vote to defeat the motion, saying that community consultation would happen.
“The fact is, you like it or not, there is a law and you have to abide by laws,” he said, referring to part 3A.
Independent councillor Dimitrios Thanos raised concerns about community consultation.
“The community has a lot more weight here than when they go down to the planning minister,” he said.
Cr Phillips’ other motion calling for a masterplan of the McGill St precinct which covers the Lewisham towers site was passed unanimously. This means the planning minister “shall give consideration” to the masterplan when assessing the proposal.
Lewisham Monster Scare – The Courier
15 Jun 09 by Sam Worrad
The campaign against the 14-storey Lewisham towers development on Old Canterbury Rd continues to gain momentum, though Marrickville Labor claims it is at the centre of a scare campaign.
Labor councillor Mary O’Sullivan said the Greens were “doing their best to portray local and state Labor as beholden to developer donations, but it is not true”.
“We are as critical as anybody of the proposal because it is singularly inappropriate for the area, and where we differ is how the proposal should be assessed,” she said.
Marrickville Labor Mayor Sam Iskandar agreed scare tactics had been used.
“It is wrong to say that there is a monster coming and that it is inevitable,” he said.
“I will say again, we don’t support it and we never supported it.”
At tonight’s Marrickville Council meeting, the Greens will move two motions – one calling for the council to commission a master plan for the precinct between Old Canterbury Rd and the goods railway line in Lewisham and a second motion calling for the development to be assessed by the council and not the Planning Minister.
The second motion was voted down by a combination of Labor and independent councillors in March.
“If the councillors are listening to the community and know the depth of feeling about this issue, I would hope the motions can get through,” Greens councillor Max Phillips said.
There has been more than 650 hits on the http://www.nolewishamtowers.org website, where Marrickville’s Greens and Independent councillors Dimitrios Thanos and Morris Hanna have registered their opposition to the towers.
Read this story on the Inner West Courier’s website.
Doubt cast on tower proposal
11 Jun 09 by Lana Lam
A MIX of townhouses and medium density developments is the ideal alternative to massive apartment towers in Lewisham, according to an urban and regional planning expert.
Dr Garry Glazebrook said the proposed 14-storey apartment towers in Lewisham may be an overdevelopment of the site.
“It does sound pretty high,” he said.
Dr Glazebrook said the old flour mill in Summer Hill, directly across the Lewisham proposal, was an ideal reference point.
“Something that matched the flour mill, particularly if they designed it to complement each other would be ideal,” he said.
He added a transport and traffic study was needed as 500 new apartments would bring about 1200 residents to the area and coupled with a re-development of the flour mill, up to 4000.
“Longport St is already heavily congested during peak hour and there’s virtually no spare road capacity,” he said. “If there weren’t other measures to increase public transport use, it would certainly add to traffic congestion.
“The combination of light rail and the GreenWay would be absolutely essential to any increased development in the area.”
The flour mill, now owned by EG Property, is 36m high and could accomodate up to 13 storeys, according to a company spokesman.
Ashfield and Leichhardt councils have publicly opposed the Lewisham towers proposal and believe Marrickville Council should be the approving authority.
However, Marrickville Labor Mayor Sam Iskandar believes the Planning Minister Kristina Keneally should make the decision.
Ashfield Council is preparing a report on the social, commercial and environmental impacts of the proposal on Summer Hill and Ashfield. It has also allocated $12,000 for independent traffic and retail assessments.
The Glebe asked Marrickville Council whether it planned to support the community’s No Lewisham Towers campaign or investigate the negative impact of the development but did not receive a response by deadline.
The Glebe, 4 June 2009
Lewisham and Summer Hill residents fight for village atmosphere –
Read this story on The Glebe’s website.
By Lana Lam
A MASSIVE development proposed for Lewisham could make the small suburb a magnet for high-rise apartment blocks.
Lewisham residents concerned about the Lewisham towers development. Picture: Danny Aarons
Marrickville Council is reviewing local planning controls and has identified the area around Lewisham railway station as a possible site for new multi-storey dwellings.
The areas immediately around Dulwich Hill, Petersham, and Marrickville stations have also been flagged as areas for new zoning controls.
Last week, about 100 residents met to discuss how to stop Demian Constructions’ plans to build five residential towers at the corner of Old Canterbury Rd and Longport St in Lewisham.
Residents fear it will destroy the village atmosphere of the area, harm shopping hubs in Leichhardt, Summer Hill, Petersham and Ashfield, and create traffic chaos.
The $150 million project includes about 500 apartments, 16 townhouses and a shopping centre. Two of the towers would be 14-storeys.
Under the council’s local environment plan, the proposal is not allowed, but Planning Minister Kristina Keneally will have the final say on the proposal because it has been declared state significant under a part 3A application.
NSW Greens MP Sylvia Hale said community participation was weakened under part 3A and that the 30-day exhibition and comments period was a “token process”. Ms Keneally said she would not decide whether to refer the matter back to the council until the plans had been publicly exhibited and assessed by the planning department.
She denied having had any talks about the plans with former Labor minister Carl Scully, who now works as a consultant for the developer. Demian Constructions has in the past donated about $20,000 to the ALP.
Marrickville Labor MP Carmel Tebbutt met senior council staff about two weeks ago to talk about the local environment plan review and the Lewisham development.
Ms Tebbutt said the plans were still in the early stages of assessment. “I will work with my constituents to ensure they are able to feed into the public consultation process,” she said.
Ms Tebbutt was not at last week’s community meeting, which was attended by Marrickville Council Greens and Ashfield independent and Labor councillors.
* * * * *
TWENTY-FIVE years ago, residents successfully fought off a massive development in Summer Hill.
This week, residents, including some veterans of the earlier campaigns, formed a new group to oppose the Lewisham towers.
Summer Hill resident Glenn Leembruggen was part of a grassroots campaign between 1984 and 1987 which defeated a big development proposed for the Summer Hill carpark.
“It was to retain the village atmosphere,” he said.
Back then, there was no such thing as a part 3A application so the fight this time is very different, Mr Leembruggen said.
“We have no confidence that due process will be given to this,” he said.
Bob Bow lives in Ashfield and works in Summer Hill. He was also part of that fight decades ago.
“It’s a different scenario now,” Mr Bow said. “It’s a much bigger fight because of the presence of 3A, but we have a history as Summer Hillians of doing things and winning.” Details: http://www.nolewisham towers.org
Mass rally against tower –
25 May 09 by Sam Worrad
Protestors at Summer Hill Community Centre. Photo: Tim Clapin
Summer Hill Community Centre was bursting at the seams last Wednesday night as the Marrickville and Ashfield communties united to vent their anger over a proposal for a 14-storey, five-tower development at Lewisham.
Last week’s community meeting may have been hosted by the Marrickville Greens but there was a show of bipartisan opposition to the development, with speeches from Ashfield ALP councillor Alex Lofts and Ashfield independent councillor Caroline Stott.
“It will create more pressure on parking,” Cr Stott said. “Over 500 new apartments means 1000 new residents, mostly with cars; the streets on either side of the development are already traffic bottlenecks.”
Cr Lofts said the development presented an opportunity for the community to disregard political differences and band together to create a plan of action.
The Greens fear the development, which would include two 14-level towers, one 12-level tower, plus 524 residential units and a 9000sq m retail space for a supermarket, liquor store and 15 specialty shops, would harm local shopping strips in Lewisham, Petersham, Summer Hill and Leichhardt, disrupt traffic and create new precedents for building size and height.
Greens MLC Sylvia Hale accused the State Government and Demian Developments of avoiding community consultation and rushing through the project under the controversial part 3A.
“Section 3A has an absence of genuine political involvement and consultation with the community. It’s carried on behind closed doors. Then you have to live with the consequences regardless of the long term effects,” she said.
Demian Developments were contacted for comment but did not respond.
Read the article on the InnerWest Courier’s website.
Residents start fights against Lewisham Towers – The Glebe
“STOP the Lewisham towers” was the catchcry last night as angry residents gathered to voice their concerns about a massive development. 
The developer has bypassed Marrickville Council and asked the Planning Minister to consider the proposal as a part 3A application.
NSW Greens MP Sylvia Hale addressed the crowd, saying that community participation was weakened under part 3A and that the 30-day exhibition and comments period was a “token process”.
About 100 residents attended the meeting in Summer Hill which was organised by the Greens.
Independent and Labor councillors from Ashfield Council also attended to voice their opposition to the proposal.
None of the independent or Labor councillors from Marrickville Council attended.
Demian Constructions wants to build five apartment towers atop a large retail centre on the corner of Old Canterbury Rd and Longport St.
The $150 million plan includes about 500 apartments and 16 townhouses. Two towers proposed for the site will be 14 storeys.
Under Marrickville Council’s local environment plan, the proposal is not allowed.
Lewisham development controversy – Innerwest Courier
May 19, 2009
Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt has a major headache on her hands in the form of a monster five tower development that will soar up to 14 levels at Lewisham that has been handed over to the State Government for approval….
Read the rest of this article at the InnerWest Courier site.
Mall for Lewisham – InnerWest Courier
24 Mar 09 @ 11:18am by Sam Worrad
Pic: SIMON CHILLINGWORTH
A massive Lewisham development, including two 14-storey residential towers and a supermarket mall, could sidestep proper community consultation, according to the Greens.
The project, at Longport St and Old Canterbury Rd, has been accepted for assessment under the State Government’s controversial Part 3A planning law, under which 99.6 per cent of developments have been approved.
“This is a massive development that will have significant impacts on the community and our local shopping strips and should therefore be decided by the community, not by the Planning Minister or an unelected panel appointed by the minister,” Greens councillor Max Phillips said.
“A new supermarket mall of up to 12,000sq m will encourage car-based shopping and hurt our shopping strips at Petersham, Dulwich Hill and Marrickville, as well as the Summer Hill village.”
Cr Phillips raised an unsuccessful motion at last Tuesday’s Marrickville Council meeting which aimed to have the council lobby Planning Minister Kristina Keneally to reject the application for assessment under Part 3A, and to refer the matter to the council.
The motion also asked the council to note that the director and secretary of a company directly related to the applicant company, Demian Constructions, had allegedly donated more than $20,000 to the NSW Labor Party since 2002.
This part of the motion had some Labor and independent councillors accusing Cr Phillips of wedge politics.
“I don’t like the 3A loophole either, but I disagree with tying the issue with politics,” independent councillor Dimitrios Thanos said. “The Greens are trying to create a wedge. I’m against all donations, I don’t accept them, but I think it’s better to pursue that issue separately.”
Labor councillor Emanuel Tsardoulias said the issue of development needed “a solution, and not grandstanding”.
“In one way 3A can alleviate frustration in the delays experienced for major projects, though I can understand reluctance because the community wants to feel they can have their say,” he said. “It’s important to note there is still consultation by credible people who know what they’re doing.”
The application can be viewed at http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.
Five-tower proposal won’t go to council – The Glebe
by Lana Lam
A $150 MILLION proposal to build 500 apartments and a massive retail centre may change Lewisham forever and Marrickville Council can’t do anything about it.
Developer Demian Constructions wants to build five apartment towers atop a large retail centre on the corner of Longport St and Old Canterbury Rd.
Two of the towers proposed for the former Packrite site will be 14 storeys with 16 townhouses also planned for the 13,000sq m site. The developer has also flagged a possible new tram stop on the site if the light rail system is extended to Dulwich Hill.
Under Marrickville Council’s local environment plan, the proposal is not allowed.
Council staff told the developer rezoning the area could take two or more years and so the application will now be considered by the Planning Department under part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.
Marrickville Greens councillor Max Phillips accused the developer of sidestepping proper community consultation and council input.
“Fourteen-storey towers are totally out of proportion and would set an unwelcome precedent for the Marrickville area,” Cr Phillips said.
If approved, the shopping strips in Petersham, Dulwich Hill and Marrickville would struggle to survive, he said.
Cr Phillips said official records showed the developer of the Lewisham site had donated more than $20,000 to the NSW Labor Party since 2002.
He called on Marrickville MP Carmel Tebbutt to ensure the application was decided by the council.
Ms Tebbutt said all applications considered by the Planning Minister (Kristina Keneally) were subject to a “thorough assessment process, including extensive public consultation”.
“I will continue to keep the Planning Minister informed of my constituents’ concerns,” she said.
Charlie Demian from Demian Constructions did not return our calls by deadline.
Read this story on The Glebe’s website.
Crikey story on Lewisham development 
Alex Mitchell writes:
NSW Deputy Premier and Environment Minister Carmel Tebbutt and Planning Minister Kristina Keneally are heading for a showdown over a $150 million development in Tebbutt’s inner-city electorate of Marrickville.
Tebbutt is from the ALP’s Catholic left and Keneally from the Catholic right.
Tebbutt is married to federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese and Keneally’s husband Ben is a senior NSW bureaucrat in charge of offloading the state-owned ferries to the private sector.
Keneally has “called in” a massive development proposed along Old Canterbury Road in Lewisham which is within the borders of Tebbutt’s electorate. She has made herself the final consent authority on the five-tower development which will include two 14-level towers, one 12-level tower, plus 524 residential units and a 9,000 square metre retail space for a supermarket, liquor store and 15 specialty shops.
The developer is a $1, one-share company called Demian Developments Pty Ltd which, according to Greens MP Sylvia Hale, has donated $20,000 to the NSW Labor Party since 2002. Certainly, the company is well-connected, as Ms Hale explained in the NSW Upper House.
“Accessing the Labor old mates’ network, Demian has engaged the former Minister for many things, Carl Scully, to argue its case to his former colleagues,” she told MPs.
Scully, a former Police Minister and Transport Minister, retired from parliament before the March 2007 state election after his ambition to be premier was dashed by his former factional associates, Joe Tripodi and Eddie Obeid.
This is not the first time that the Parramatta and Silverwater-based Demian group has been in the sights of the Greens. In March 2007 Ms Hale called on former Planning Minister Frank Sartor to block Bankstown Council’s rezoning application to allow the development company to build a five-storey commercial premises, gated community and marina on the site of the Riverlands Golf Course.
Two years later, the project remains log jammed and going nowhere, due to council objections.
According to ASIC records, the original sole director of the company was 46-year-old Charbel Demian, born in the Lebanese town of Koubayat.
Marrickville Council, with five Green councillors, four Labor and three independents, is deeply divided over the multi-million-dollar project. A Greens motion calling on Keneally to reject the development application was deadlocked six-all but the Labor mayor’s casting vote saw the motion lost.
Locals fear that the development will cause gridlock in the adjacent streets and lead to the ruin of many local family businesses.
With the Greens hopeful of winning Marrickville at the state election in March 2011, Tebbutt is under pressure to declare where she stands on the Demian project.
Reply to Crikey story from Marrickville Labor Councillor Mary O’Sullivan
Marrickville Council:
Mary O’Sullivan, Marrickville Labor Councillor, writes: Re. “NSW stand-off between Tebbutt and Keneally” (Tuesday, item 17). Alex Mitchell should have checked with the Marrickville Councillors who voted against the Greens motion he trumps in his article. But – as has been the way with lazy journalists since Dreyfus — why let facts get in the way of hearsay and a good conspiracy theory? Throw in a s-xist depiction of an imagined spat between two women politicians and fiction follows.
For the record Marrickville Councillors are all deeply concerned about the proposed Lewisham development’s impact on the Marrickville Council area, as well as its potential to harm businesses and communities in Ashfield and Leichardt. The gist of the Greens motion was that the development be assessed by Marrickville Council!
The opponents (including the Mayor) want it assessed at arms length by the independent Planning Assessment Commission. That way all the affected Council areas and residents can put in submissions and the developer has to respond.
Contrary to Alex Mitchell’s insinuation, if there are political donations declared, the Planning and Assessment Commission’s determination is final. Ministers and local members have no involvement.